Anti-Racism and Psychology

Racism and Anger

By Gina Ko, Ph.D., R.Psych

The idea to start my podcast was derived from feeling angry about the anti-Asian racism that has been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I am Gina Ko, a Registered Psychologist in Alberta. I am also a producer and host of the podcast, “Against the Tides of Racism.” (https://www.againstracismpodcast.com/) I interview guests from many walks of life to generate awareness, foster community and create transformation by coming together to lean into the inspiring work of anti-racism. Currently, I see many racialized and minoritized clients in my private practice. Some of them have found me after listening to my podcast and realize I am an ally, co-conspirator, and listener in that they feel heard, validated, and seen. The idea to start my podcast was derived from feeling angry about the anti-Asian racism that has been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the news of a white man in Georgia in a racially-motivated hate crime killing eight people and six of whom were Asian women (Daoyou Feng, 44; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Delaina Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; and Yong A. Yue, 63)—along with how police officers were complicit in killing George Floyd and Breonna Taylor—was deeply disturbing and anger-provoking, and it prompted me to start something impactful to address racism and systemic racism.

Some of my incredibly insightful and resistant podcast guests have shared that they feel angry experiencing, hearing about, and witnessing racism, microaggressions, discrimination, xenophobia, and how it can be awful as anger could lead to rage and impact mental well-being. It is eye-opening and gratitude-inducing when my guests are vulnerable and courageous. Some of them want to learn more about anger, and some would like to put it aside to be more constructive. In my response and reflection, I talk about how anger often has a “bad reputation” and is labelled as a “negative emotion” and how anger can serve a purpose, such as standing up against injustice.

Anger has also been explained as a secondary emotion whereby sadness, fear, pain, and powerlessness may be underlying anger. In my private practice, I share the anger iceberg (https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-anger-iceberg-2/) with clients and the idea of creative anger (Brown, 2018) to explore what is underneath the iceberg and how anger can be used creatively to effect change. My Asian clients, in particular, are thankful for this psycho-education and reflection as some have had a distant relationship with emotions when they are not talked about and acknowledged when growing up. Many of them speak about an upbringing where their parents are busy working, surviving, and resolving to provide basic needs with little room for emotional connection. Hence, clients in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are first-generation or second-generation immigrants to Canada may not yet have the awareness and tools to explore emotions such as anger and are on their journey to have a more connected relationship with emotions. The first step is acknowledging that we feel certain emotions, getting to know them, and processing them in helpful ways; I highly recommend doing so with a therapist. References available upon request.